MOSCOW. March 25 (Interfax) - Russia is considering the possibility to extend the service life of the International Space Station (ISS) by connecting Russian-made modules for all interested states to the station; the ISS could also become a transit hub for deep-space missions, Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin told the press.
"NASA professionals agree that it is impossible to move on to deep space without having a station in the near-Earth orbit as a transit element. The ISS should be a port, a station for adapting new technologies. The station could be used as a transit spaceport: spaceships could be launched, and heavy structures could be assembled in orbit," Rogozin said.
In Rogozin's words, Russia could broaden its segment of the ISS with standard modules for all interested countries. "There is no doubt that our segment could grow with new modules, and we could also replicate the science-and-energy module. Thanks to its structure, it could be used as a habitation module by other states. They could continue to expand the international segment of the station. We could also build such modules for other countries. For instance, if our Indian partners build a manned spaceship they could also order a module," he said.